By Henry Empeño | August 4, 2025

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT — The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) released to neighboring local government units on Monday, Aug. 4, some P197.85 million representing revenue shares for the first semester of this year.

In a simple turnover ceremony at the SBMA corporate boardroom, SBMA Chairman and Administrator Eduardo Jose L. Aliño distributed checks to LGU officials earmarked to augment development funds in in tourism, infrastructure, education, peace and order, health, livelihood generation, and social services.

Olongapo City again received the largest share of P46,270,769.33 among the eight recipients because of its large population and land area. The LGU shares, which are given to LGUs contiguous to and affected by free port operations, are computed based on population (50 percent), land area (25 percent), and equal sharing (25 percent).  

In Zambales, Subic town received P29,683,317.56, the second biggest share. San Marcelino got P23,763,694.31, Castillejos P17,987,887.14, and San Antonio P16,824,398.47.

In Bataan, Dinalupihan received P24,643,508.58, Hermosa P21,186,145.67, and Morong P17,489,910.85.

The revenue release is deemed timely, especially for LGUs grappling with damages the from recent typhoons and heavy rains from the southwest monsoon.

“This will be a huge boost to us, to augment our funds,” said newly-elected Hermosa mayor Anne Inton. “As you all know, Hermosa was among the municipalities hardest-hit by heavy rains brought about by the typhoons and the southwest monsoon, as 18 out of our 23 barangays got flooded.”

Aliño assured LGU officials that the SBMA will do its best to promote progress that will also benefit neighboring communities in the Subic Bay area.

This year’s LGU revenue share of P197.85 million for the first semester is slightly lower the P204.7 million released last year, as well as the P203 million for the same period in 2023.

Aliño said the decrease was due to the imposition of 25 percent tax by the Department of Finance, which is remitted by the SBMA to the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), and the removal of the five percent tax privilege for business establishments registered in Subic.

Three percent of the five percent corporate used to be remitted to the BIR, while two percent were distributed as dividends to the contiguous LGUs, the SBMA said.

The revenue shares collected from January to June are released by the SBMA in August, while those collected from July to December are released in February of the following year. 

PHOTO: SBMA Chairman Eduardo Jose L. Aliño (4^th, right) with (left to right) Castillejos LGU representative, Subic town representative, Olongapo City Mayor Rolen Paulino, Jr., Hermosa Mayor Anne Inton, Morong Mayor Leila Muñoz, San Antonio Mayor Arvin Antipolo, and Dinalupihan LGU representative. (SBMA photo)